This invention is directed to a power riding device for sanding and preparing large floor surfaces, such as gymnasium floors and dance floors. The invention is more particularly concerned with power floor sanding equipment that incorporates a cart on which the operator rides, and which propels the floor sanding machine along the floor surface. The invention is more specifically directed to a riding floor sanding machine that incorporates a facility for controlling the dust that is generated from the floor sanding operation.
The problem of sanding and refinishing large floor areas, such as gymnasium floors, dance floors, or similar large hardwood surfaces, has been discussed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 34,822 and 6,986,397. Similar arrangements are presented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,419,565 and 6,202,775. Each of these proposes a powered vehicle, e.g., a cart or trailer, with one or more power floor sanders or equivalent floor finishing devices incorporated into it or attached to it at the front. The cart has a seat for an operator and power controls so that the operator can regulate the speed of the vehicle. The operator steers the assembly by means of the handle or handles on the floor sanding machine. This arrangement has made it possible to increase the speed and efficiency for sanding these large hardwood surfaces in preparation for refinishing them. However, the arrangements as described in these patents employ simple fabric dust bags attached onto the dust exhaust pipes that rise from the sander machine(s). These have a problem of filling very quickly, which means having to stop the operation frequently to empty them. These dust collection bags are notoriously poor filters, and leak out much of the fine dust particles that the sander machines generate. Consequently, the room in which the hardwood floor is located becomes a dusty environment, causing health problems for the workers and also creating a layer of dust on the floor that demands a significant cleaning effort later on. Also, the fine wood dust particles are quite flammable, and can create a fire hazard around the floor sander machines.
The bag will tend to inflate as the exhaust air and the dust flow into it, and this presents a vision problem for the operator, as it obstructs the view in the direction the floor sander and cart are traveling.
It would be desirable to collect bulk solids, such as wood dust, inside a drum or barrel, instead of collecting the dust in cloth bags and then transferring it later on. However, no one has proposed any sort of mechanism for depositing the wood dust that is generated from a ride-on floor sander directly into a container so as to minimize or eliminate airborne dust in the gymnasium, ballroom or other location where the hardwood floor is being prepared for finishing.